• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.378-384
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• 2003

Mesophilically-grown granular sludge seeded in thermophilic UASB reactor was monitored to better understand the start-up process of the reactor. The reactor was fed with a synthetic wastewater containing glucose. As COD loading rate increased stepwise, methane production rate increased. Maximum values of COD removal efficiency (95%) and methane production rate (5.3 l/day) were achieved by approximately day-80 and remained constant afterward. However, physicochemical and microbial properties of granules kept changing even after day-80. Specific methanogenic activity (SMA) was initially negligible, and increased continuously until day-153 and remained constant afterward, showing the maximum value of $1.51{\pm}0.13\;g\;CH_4-COD/g$ VSS/day. Deteriorated settling ability of granules recovered the initial value by day-98 and was maintained afterward, as determined by sludge volume index. Initially reduced granule size increased until day-126, reaching a plateau of 1.1 mm. Combined use of fluorescence in situ hybridization and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) allowed to localize families of Methanosaetaceae and Merhanosarcinaceae in granules with time Quantitative analyses of CLSM images of granule sections showed abundance patterns of the methanogens and numerical dominance of Methanosaeta spp. throughout the start-up period. The trend of SMA agreed well with abundance patterns of the methanogens.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.345-351
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• 2004

We investigated the anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) reaction in a lab-stale upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor. Our aim was to detect and enrich the organisms responsible for the anammox reaction using a synthetic medium that contained low concentrations of substrates (ammonium and nitrite). The reactor was inoculated with granular sludge collected from a full-scale anaerobic digestor used for treating brewery wastewater The experiment was performed during 260 days under conditions of constant ammonium concentration ($50\;mg\;NH_4^+-N/L$) and different nitrite concentrations ($50{\~}150\;mg\;NO_2-N/L$). After 200 days, anammox activity was observed in the system. The microorganisms involved in this anammox reaction were identified as Candidatus B. Anammoxidans and K. Stuttgartiensis using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH ) method.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.199-204
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• 2006

The purpose of this work was to evaluate the development of the anammox process by the use of granular sludge selected from a digestion reactor as a potential seed source in a lab-scale UASB (upflow anaerobic sludge blanket) reactor system. The reactor was operated for approximately 11 months and was fed by synthetic wastewater. After 200 days of feeding with $NH_4^+\;and\;NO_2^-$ as the main substrates, the biomass showed steady signs of ammonium consumption, resulting in over 60% of ammonium nitrogen removal. This report aims to present the results and to more closely examine what occurs after the onset of anammox activity, while the previous work described the start-up experiment and the presence of anammox bacteria in the enriched community using the fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) technique. By the last month of operation, the consumed $NO_2^--N/NH_4^+-N$ ratio in the UASB reactor was close to 1.32, the stoichiometric ratio of the anammox reaction. The obtained results from the influent-shutdown test suggested that nitrite concentration would be one key parameter that promotes the anammox reaction during the start-up enrichment of anammox bacteria from granular sludge. During the study period, the sludge color gradually changed from black to red-brownish.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.18-25
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• 2009

Nitrogen removal and methane production from piggery wastewater were investigated in two-phase anaerobic digestion (TPAD) coupled with biological nitrogen removal (BNR) process at $35^{\circ}C$. Methane production rate was about $0.7L/L{\cdot}day$ at organic loading rate (OLR) of $1.2g{\cdot}TCOD/L{\cdot}day$ in methanogenic UASB. Conversion efficiency of the removed TCOD into methane in UASB was as high as 72% and overall TCOD removal efficiency in this system was over 97%. Ammonia nitrogen were stably removed in BNR system and overall efficiency were 98%. With recirculation of the nitrified final effluent to TPAD, nitrogen oxides were completely removed by anaerobic denitrification in the acidogenic reactor, which did not inhibit the acidogenic activities. Overall TN removal efficiency in the TPAD-BNR system was as high as 94%.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.497-502
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• 2012

Anaerobic Digestion Process is evaluated as efficient wastewater treatment process with the removal of high concentrations of organic waste and production of biogas. This study was performed using hybrid anaerobic hybrid reactor (AHR) which consists of anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) and biofilm-coated filter media was applied for Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) for 80 days to know optimum removal efficiency and production of biogas by comparing each part which divided changing Organic Loading Rate (OLR). As a result of this study, the removal efficiency was 90.4 % when the organic loading rate of influent was 15 kg COD/$m^3$/day. Since organic loading rate was up to 20 kg COD/$m^3$/day, the removal rate declined 80.7%. Over loading of influent caused sludge expansion and overproduction of microorganism. Amount of biogas was collected 82.3 L/day and pH was remained 6.9 constantly with balance of alkalinity.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.45-54
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• 1996

Effects of temperature on the efficiency of the Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket(UASB) process for treatment of wastewater from a starch and related products manufacturing industry were investigated using laboratory scale reactors equipped with two types of Gas-Solid Separator(GSS). Both fresh digested sludge and granular sludge stored nearly for one year at room temperature were good as a seeding material. The reactors seeded with aged granular sludge showed slow start-up, however, lowered activity at the initial period was recovered gradually. The GSS with an inner cylinder was proved to be effective in liquid-solid separation compared to the conventional type. Although the rate of organic removal and gas production per unit volatile suspended solids in the reactor reduced significantly as the temperature varied from 35 to $20^{\circ}C$, possibility of operation at low temperatures was shown as a result of gradual buildup of volatile suspended solids in the bed. Stable operation with a reduced efficiency was possible at a COD loading of $5-8kg/m^3/day$ at a temperature as low as $20^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.797-806
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• 2000

The objectives were to compare the biodegradable threshold concentrations of phenol with the different composition of the influent carbon source and examine the SMA (Specific Methanogenic Activity)and the possibility of simultaneous removal of high-strength organics and nitrogen compounds in UASB(Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket) - PBR(Packed Bed Reactor) process. The results showed that UASB reactors were efficient to remove phenol and phenol + glucose from synthetic wastewater. At phenol conc, of 600 mg/L and SCOD conc. of 2100 mg/L in UASB reactor(with only phenol as substrate), the removal efficiencies of phenol and SCOD were over 99% and 93% respectively, under MLVSS of 20 g. The activity of microorganism was $0.112g\;phenol/g\;VSS{\cdot}d$, $0.351g\;SCOD/g\;VSS{\cdot}d$. The gas production rate was $0.115L/g\;VSS{\cdot}d$ and $CH_4$ content in gas was about 70%. At phenol conc. of 760 mg/L and SCOD conc. of 4300 mg/L in UASB reactor( with phenol + glucose as substrates), the removal efficiencies of phenol and of SCOD were over 99% and 90% respectively, under MLVSS of 20 g. The activity of microoganism was $0.135g\;phenol/g\;VSS{\cdot}d$, $0.696g\;SCOD/g\;VSS{\cdot}d$. The gas production rate was $0.257L/g\;VSS{\cdot}d$ and $CH_4$ content in gas was about 70%. Serum bottle test showed that the activity of granule was inhibited over 1600 mg/L phenol conc, and denitrification and methanogenesis simultaneously took place in UASB granules under co-substrates conditions. PBR reactor packed with cilium type media, was efficient in nitrification. In condition of $0.038kg\;NH_4-N/m^3-media{\cdot}d$. 10~12 mg/L phenol conc. and 200~500 mg/L SCOD conc., nitrification efficiency was over 90% and phenol removal efficiency was over 98%.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.179-186
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• 2010

In biological wastewater treatment, high lipid concentrations can inhibit the activity of microorganisms critical to the treatment process and cause undesirable biomass flotation. To reduce the inhibitory effects of high lipid concentrations, a two-phase anaerobic system, consisting of an anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (ASBR) and an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor in series, was applied to synthetic dairy wastewater treatment. During 153 days of operation, the two-phase system showed stable performance in lipid degradation. In the ASBR, a 13% lipid removal efficiency and 10% double-bond removal efficiency were maintained. In the UASB, the chemical oxygen demand (COD), lipid, and volatile fatty acid (VFA) removal efficiencies were greater than 80%, 70%, and 95%, respectively, up to an organic loading rate of 6.5 g COD/l/day. No serious operational problems, such as significant scum formation or sludge washout, were observed. Protein degradation was found to occur prior to degradation during acidogenesis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.609-614
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• 2010

The effluent from anaerobic digestion contains organic nitrogen and phosphorus, which are both required for growth of Spirulina platensis. Effluent (20%) from the upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) from a pig farm, supplemented with 4.5 g/l sodium bicarbonate ($NaHCO_3$) and 0.2 g/l urea fertilizer (46:0:0, N:P:K), was found to be not only a suitable medium for the growth of Spirulina platensis but also a low-cost alternative. Cost calculation showed that this medium is 4.4 times cheaper than modifized Zarrouk's medium. The average productivities of a semi-continuous culture grown under outdoor conditions in a 6-1 scale and a 100-1 pilot scale were 19.9 $g/m^2/d$ and 12 $g/m^2/d$, respectively. In addition, the biomass of organisms grown in UASB effluent contained approximately 57.9% protein, 1.12% $\gamma$-linolenic acid, and 19.5% phycocyanin. The average rates of bicarbonate, total nitrogen, and phosphorus removal were 380 mg/l/d, 34 mg/l/d, and 4 mg/l/d, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.23-29
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• 2008

It has been mentioned that CSTR (Completely Stirred Tank Reactor) and UASB (Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket) processes, the existing anaerobic processes, have problems in the treatment of highly concentrated particulate organic wastewater (HCPOW). Therefore, this paper discusses the treatment possibility of distillery wastewater which is a typical HCPOW using ADEPT (anaerobic Digestion Elutriated Phased Treatment) process. In the comparison of CSTR and ADEPT, ADEPT produced much higher gas than that of CSTR removing more organic matters and suspended solids in ADEPT process, ADEPT had no effect on the decrease in pH by volatile fatty acids and showed steady pH in spite of relatively short HRT. In the results of removal rate according to recycle ratios between 6Qin and 2Qin in ADEPT, 6Qin showed high removal rate during the operation time. Therefore it appears that ADEPT had an applicability for the treatment of distillery wastewater. ADEPT could be a economical process, due to the short HRT, the energy recovery by the methane production, and the utilization for carbon source of produced organic acid from the ADEPT-acid reactor.